Cameroon

BOURBON -- For a bunch of small-town kids, the Triton Destination Imagination team knows a lot about folk lore in Cameroon. And they're fairly expert in Isaac Newton's laws of physics. Strangest of all is this: No one forced them to learn these things. They're competing in Destination Imagination, which combines technical issues with theater by presenting students with problems to be solved by the group. "It's really kinda neat," team manager Lisa Eiser said. It's even neater that the team -- Cole Eiser, Jennifer Strycker, Josh Burkholder, Tom Eiser, Chrissi Schaetzle and Tommy Devros -- has advanced to global competition by placing first of eight teams at the state tournament in Noblesville on April 8. In D.I., students chose a challenge from a list of requirements for a presentation.

FLINT, Mich. -- At home, Bernadette Atanga tries to figure out what's wrong with the body. But in her native Cameroon, the Flint doctor is more interested in what's going on inside the head. Atanga is the voice behind a series of popular 15-minute segments that air on the radio in Cameroon. She gives listeners advice on everything from stress and depression to grief and forgiveness. Although she left the west African country of more than 15 million people in 1986, the 41-year-old Atanga never turned her back on it. The eighth of 10 children born to a wealthy, philanthropic family, Atanga said her parents shared with their children a strong faith, a desire to help the community and a love of education and travel.

LOCAL Buchanan graduate travels to Africa After a 17-day trip to the African country of Cameroon, 2007 Buchanan High School graduate Sean Thornton said he came back a changed person with new perspectives on his career goals and life in general. Thornton, a first year student at Albion College, traveled to Cameroon in west central Africa earlier this month as part of his "Freshman Seminar" class. B1 Governmental meeting rules discussed Opening a Berrien County Board of Commissioners' meeting with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance is OK. Requiring a second vote when nominating a commissioner for chairman is not. B1 STATE Tax breaks re-examined for moviemakers A year ago, Michigan tried luring Hollywood to make more movies in the state by giving tax rebates.

BUCHANAN -- After a 17-day trip to the African country of Cameroon, 2007 Buchanan High School graduate Sean Thornton said he came back a changed person with new perspectives on his career goals and life in general. Thornton, a first-year student at Albion College, traveled to Cameroon in west central Africa earlier this month as part of his Freshman Seminar class. His professor, Emmanuel Yewah, is a native of Cameroon and led the group of 17 students on the trip. During a brief stopover at his home here before going back to college, he talked about his college classes as well as his experiences in Africa.

BUCHANAN -- After a 17-day trip to the African country of Cameroon, 2007 Buchanan High School graduate Sean Thornton said he came back a changed person with new perspectives on his career goals and life in general. Thornton, a first-year student at Albion College, traveled to Cameroon in west central Africa earlier this month as part of his Freshman Seminar class. His professor, Emmanuel Yewah, is a native of Cameroon and led the group of 17 students on the trip. During a brief stopover at his home here before going back to college, he talked about his college classes as well as his experiences in Africa.

San Diego will appeal ruling in cross case to Supreme Court SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The city plans to petition the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to keep a giant cross standing on municipal property, the city attorney said Thursday. The city wants the high court to review a federal appeals court decision that affirmed a May ruling that ordered the city to remove the cross or be fined $5,000 a day. The May ruling found that the city was demonstrating an unconstitutional endorsement of one religion over another by maintaining the 29-foot hilltop cross in a municipal park.

FLINT, Mich. -- At home, Bernadette Atanga tries to figure out what's wrong with the body. But in her native Cameroon, the Flint doctor is more interested in what's going on inside the head. Atanga is the voice behind a series of popular 15-minute segments that air on the radio in Cameroon. She gives listeners advice on everything from stress and depression to grief and forgiveness. Although she left the west African country of more than 15 million people in 1986, the 41-year-old Atanga never turned her back on it. The eighth of 10 children born to a wealthy, philanthropic family, Atanga said her parents shared with their children a strong faith, a desire to help the community and a love of education and travel.

BUCHANAN -- After a 17-day trip to the African country of Cameroon, 2007 Buchanan High School graduate Sean Thornton said he came back a changed person with new perspectives on his career goals and life in general. Thornton, a first-year student at Albion College, traveled to Cameroon in west central Africa earlier this month as part of his Freshman Seminar class. His professor, Emmanuel Yewah, is a native of Cameroon and led the group of 17 students on the trip. During a brief stopover at his home here before going back to college, he talked about his college classes as well as his experiences in Africa.

LOCAL Buchanan graduate travels to Africa After a 17-day trip to the African country of Cameroon, 2007 Buchanan High School graduate Sean Thornton said he came back a changed person with new perspectives on his career goals and life in general. Thornton, a first year student at Albion College, traveled to Cameroon in west central Africa earlier this month as part of his "Freshman Seminar" class. B1 Governmental meeting rules discussed Opening a Berrien County Board of Commissioners' meeting with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance is OK. Requiring a second vote when nominating a commissioner for chairman is not. B1 STATE Tax breaks re-examined for moviemakers A year ago, Michigan tried luring Hollywood to make more movies in the state by giving tax rebates.

BUCHANAN -- After a 17-day trip to the African country of Cameroon, 2007 Buchanan High School graduate Sean Thornton said he came back a changed person with new perspectives on his career goals and life in general. Thornton, a first-year student at Albion College, traveled to Cameroon in west central Africa earlier this month as part of his Freshman Seminar class. His professor, Emmanuel Yewah, is a native of Cameroon and led the group of 17 students on the trip. During a brief stopover at his home here before going back to college, he talked about his college classes as well as his experiences in Africa.

1939 -- Joe Louis stops Tony Galento in the fourth round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title. 1953 -- Betsy Rawls wins the U.S. Women's Open with a six-stroke playoff victory over Jacqueline Pung. 1966 -- Ernie Terrell scores a unanimous 15-round decision over Doug Jones in Houston to win the WBA title, which had been stripped from Muhammad Ali. 1971 -- Muhammad Ali wins a four-year legal battle to overturn his 1967 conviction for draft evasion in an 8-0 vote by the U.S. Supreme Court.